Thermochemical process for the production of an antidetonating fuel for explosion engines



April 1936- E. LIVRAGHI 2,037,478

THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF AN ANTIDETONATING' FUEL FOR EXPLOSION ENGINES Filed June 1, 1935 PFACT/M W TVBE'N Mina/c 0425 222 on MAssEs I VAPOR/2E0 L "P /J|' I] u u ll u I 11 1:44 M/XTURE I l INJECTOR COOL/NC COIL III/III ,il/ATURF aF Altar/01., 0/4, Alva MPl/TIYAZF ,rqw'vrzuzys.

Patented Apr. 14, 1936 PATENT OFFICE THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF AN ANTIDETONATING FUEL FOR EXPLOSION ENGINES Erminio Livraghi, Milan, Italy Application June 1, 1933, Serial No. 673,829 In Italy June 9, 1932 4 Claims.

The subject matter of the invention is a thermochemical process for the production of a cheap anti-detonating fuel from ethyl alcohol or synthetic methyl alcohol and light oil obtained by distillation from bituminous rocks and schists, etc., or the raw benzenes obtained from the distillation of coal in coke or gas plants and containing xylene, toluene, and many other hydrocarbons similarly obtained, such fuel being suitable for explosion engines.

For this purpose it is possible to employ ethyl alcohol even if it is not anhydrous-e. g., at 95 or synthetic methyl alcohol or light oil obtained by distillation from bituminous rocks 'and shales, (this product otherwise having only limited industrial applications), whilst obtaining an antidetonating fuel the yield of which is equal, if not superior, to that of the best petrols, with a cost of manufacture that is lower than that of petrol.

The drawing illustrates a plant adapted to carry out the invention.

The process according to the invention consists in mixing in the cold from about or a little less than a range of 40% to by weight of ethyl alcohol or synthetic methyl alcohol with from about, or a little less than a range of 60% to 40% of light oils obtained by distillation from bituminous rocks and schists, etc., or the raw benzenes obtained from the distillation of coal in coke or gas plants and containing xylene, toluene, with the addition of about 2% of naphthalene, the proportions being always adjusted to sum up to then distilling the vapor in a suitable apparatus such as a reaction tube apparatus illustrated which forms the subject matter of a separate patent application Serial No. 673,830, filed June 1, 1933, and subjecting these vapors to a cracking process at a temperature of 350 to 500 C. according to the proper cracking temperatures of the distilled vapors. The fuel that is thus produced, whether obtained with ethyl alcohol or synthetic methyl alcohol and mentioned light oils derived from the bituminous rocks distilling between 45 C. and 280 C. and having spccific gravity of .8 or whether with either of the said alcohols and the oil or benzene obtained from coal distillation alluded to, is of the same type; it has an effective (lower) calorific power of 8780 calories, a specific gravity of 0.7983 at 15 C., is

free from mineral acid and has the following composition:

C=88.5% H: 8.2% O= 3.3% 5 S= 0.10%

The flash point and the point of ignition are below 15 C.

Fractional distillation tests carried out on the said fuels gave the following results: 10

C. C. Per cent. From 42 to 45; 12 From 45 to 55 20.4 From 55 to 85 10.15 15 From 85 to 95 9.1 From 95 to 3.6 From 120 to n 5.8.. From 135 to 5.1 From 150 to 6.75 20 From 170 to 6 From 190 to 210 4.6 From 210 to 220 4.25 Above 220 to 235 12.25

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters 25 Patent of the United States is:--

1. A thermo-chemical process for the production of an anti-detonatin'g fuel for explosion engines, consisting in mixing in the cold from nearly 30 40% to almost 60% by weight of an alcohol such as either one of the two alcohols, ethyl and synthetic methyl alcohol with from nearly 60% to almost 40% of light oils obtained by distillation from bituminous rocks and schists, with the ad- 35 dition of about 2% of naphthalene, the proportions being always adjusted to" sum up to 100%, distilling the mixture and subjecting the resulting vapors to a thermal cracking treatment at a temperature ranging from 350 C. to 500 C., 40 according to required cracking temperature for the distilled vapors.

2. A thermo-chemical process for the production of an anti-detonating fuel for explosion engines, consisting in mixing in the cold from nearly 40% to almost 60% by weight of synthetic methyl alcohol with from nearly 60% to almost 40% of light oils obtained by distillation from bituminous rocks and schists, with the addition of about 2% m of naphthalene, the proportions being always adjusted to sum up to 100%, distilling the mixture and subjecting the resulting vapors to a thermal cracking treatment at a temperature ranging from 350 C. to 500 0., according to required cracking temperature for the distilled vapors.

3. A thermo-chemical process for the production of an anti-detonating fuel for explosion engines, consisting in mixing in the cold from nearly to almost by weight of an alcohol such as either one of the two alcohols, ethyl and synthetic methyl alcohol with from nearly 60% to almost 40% of light oils, raw benzenes and other hydrocarbons obtained by distillation of coal in coke and gas plants, with the addition of about 2% of naphthalene, the proportions being always adjusted to sum up to distilling the mixture and subjecting the resulting vapors to a thermal cracking treatment at a temperature ranging from 350 to 500 0., according to required cracking temperature for the distilled vapors.

4. A thermo-chemical process for the production of an anti-detonating fuel for explosion engines, consisting in mixing in the cold from nearly 40% to almost 60% by weight of synethetic methyl alcohol with from nearly 60% to almost 40% 01' light oils, raw benzenes and other hydrocarbons obtained by distillation oi. coal in coke and gas plants, with the addition of about 2% of naphthalene, the proportions being always adjusted to sum up to 100% distilling the mixeture and subjecting the resulting vapors to 

